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By Andrea Carolina Vargas Malagón, Journalist at UdeA Communications Office 

The PhD in Sustainability and the PhD in Education and Health are two new advanced programs at UdeA designed to foster transdisciplinary learning and collaboration across academic units. The first examines sustainability from diverse perspectives, while the second breaks new ground as a pioneering initiative in Latin America. Enrollment is now open for their first cohort, beginning in the second half of 2025! 

The PhD in Sustainability is an eight-semester program. Still, its flexible curriculum enables students to complete it in as few as six semesters if they receive credit for relevant postgraduate coursework. Reference photo: Jonathan Kemper / Unsplash  
 
With Academic Council approval in 2024 and the completion of all launch procedures, the Universidad de Antioquia has expanded its postgraduate offerings with two new PhD programs: Education and Health, managed by the National Faculty of Public Health (FNSP), and Sustainability, housed in the School of Microbiology. 

The PhD in Sustainability, established by Academic Agreement 615 on May 2, 2024, aims to train high-level researchers who will address key sustainability issues in industries, agriculture, the environment, and social fields. Additionally, the program equips students to investigate socio-ecological interactions, systems, and their capacity for adaptation. 

“We are focusing on training researchers in a field that has long lacked attention in Latin America and globally, where opportunities are limited, and existing programs have mainly emphasized methodological approaches. Sustainability offers the best opportunity to understand and tackle socio-ecological issues that directly affect people’s everyday lives worldwide,” explained Ricardo Velasco, director of the School of Microbiology at UdeA. 

Diana Polanco, a professor at the UdeA School of Microbiology and coordinator of the committee that created the PhD in Sustainability, explained, “This graduate program is a natural fit for the School of Microbiology, as the field of microbiology has long addressed issues such as unsustainability, contamination, energy shortages, resource depletion, and reduced productivity in various systems.” 

The new doctoral program lasts eight academic semesters face-to-face, with a semester fee of nine current legal minimum wages. It is open to candidates holding a master’s degree or professional university degree, along with a proven research track record demonstrated through publications or participation in research projects at institutions recognized by the National System of Science, Technology, and Innovation. 

As sustainability impacts various sectors of society, this doctoral program functions as a transdisciplinary initiative, with the potential for other academic units at UdeA to join later. The program includes eight research areas: management and conservation of natural resources; agroecology; territorial development and sustainability; organizational sustainability; territorial social responsibility; resilience and climate change; microbiology and sustainability; and health and sustainability. 

The first PhD of its kind in Latin America 

The National Faculty of Public Health is one of eight academic units that contributed to launching the Doctorate in Education and Health. Photo: UdeA Communications Department archive 

Fernando Peñaranda Correa, professor at Alma Mater and coordinator of the Doctorate in Education and Health, emphasized, “This doctoral program aims to train researchers in education and health who can lead and conduct high-level research in these fields, combining scientific rigor with social commitment.” The program results from more than three years of collaboration among eight academic units at UdeA: the faculties of Medicine, Agricultural Sciences, Nursing, Education, and Public Health; the schools of Microbiology and Nutrition and Dietetics; and the University Institute of Education. 

“Health education has become a key element in the implementation of public health policies in our country, driving a growing demand for specialized training in this area,” states Academic Agreement 614, dated April 17, 2024, which approved the creation of the new Doctorate in Education and Health. 

You may be interested in: UdeA’s PhD programs 

“In health, we work with education, but mainly in an instrumental way. What we need is to foster a transdisciplinary approach. Those in the health field must understand education, and those in education must understand health. It is why this doctorate is so important. There is a lack of research in this area in both Colombia and Latin America, to the extent that it will be the first doctorate of its kind in the region,” said Peñaranda Correa. 

“The development of doctoral training programs offers an opportunity to strengthen knowledge networks within the university and other universities, nationally and internationally,” states Academic Agreement 614. 

This new initiative lasts six academic semesters face-to-face, with a semester fee of nine current legal minimum wages. It offers eight research areas, each linked to the academic units involved. The program targets professionals with experience in the health system or education sector who are interested in these topics. 

The two new doctorates expand the Universidad de Antioquia’s postgraduate offerings, which currently feature 34 doctoral programs. By the end of 2024, 1,438 doctors will have graduated from these programs.